Disclaimer I do not own anything related to the X Files or the Lone Gunmen.
Moving On.
Skinner pinched the bridge of his nose as he walked away from the basement and towards his own office. He was relieved the team were back together but it had been over twenty years since he had first met Fox William Mulder and Dana Katherine Scully and it was clear that the X Files and the FBI in general had taken on them. Mulder had always been the maverick, the one that the FBI knew was brilliant but they were also scared of him. After Kersh had been arrested then he had realised why. Scully was no longer the bright and brilliant doctor that had added her rationale to the bizarre and downright wierd cases they had investigated. He shook his head as the guilt began to seep into his bones. Scully was hard. He had never thought he would use that adjective to describe her, but she was. She had become hardened to the world around her and suspicious of everything. Her eyes had lost the sparkle they used to have when he took them a case. Now she was world weary, she knew exactly what was happening and rather than terrify her she seemed annoyed and resigned to the world. He couldn't even begin to judge what being back there was like for her. She may have met her husband in that basement but she had lost so much more. He didn't even want to think about the changes he had seen in Monica Reyes and John Doggett. The spiritualist and the ex cop made such an odd pair he wondered why they weren't the subject of an X File investigation themselves.
"No calls." He snapped abruptly at the blonde that sat in Kim's seat. He missed his wife, he had got so used to her being in the outer office as he worked that not to have her there seemed so wrong. He closed the door to his office and sighed. It had been a long day and there were still hours before he would get home. He closed his eyes and silently wished the hours away until he could go home.
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"You are kidding me?" Doggett watched as Scully smirked slightly. Monica raised an eyebrow.
"Dana, did I look as though I was kidding?"
"Oh, no you don't. I am not getting involved in your arguments." Scully smiled slightly as she walked towards Mulder and took two A4 files out of his arms.
"Thanks." He smiled gratefully.
"You mean, we really have to transfer all the files that we still have onto computer?"
"This is the 21st Century." Monica smiled.
"Maybe finding Alex Krycheck should be the first priority." Scully almost laughed at the look of relief on Doggett's face. She knew how much he hated being sat at the computer for hours on end.
"See, I knew Dana would see sense."
"Someone around has to." She sighed before grabbing her coat.
"And where are you going?" Monica watched as Scully slipped her arms into the sleeves.
"I have an appointment." She was out of the door before anyone could stop her.
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"You think they are ok?" Monica asked as she pulled out the file Skinner had given them on Krycheck.
"How do you mean?" John frowned as he read the file.
"Dana left in a hurry. Thats the second time they have been out of the office since we got here and neither of them have said a word about it. She hates it here. You can just tell." Monica hugged the file to her chest.
"Mon, the last time we were here she was convinced Mulder was going to be executed for a crime he didn't commit. Her son had been taken from her and we thought Langley and the others were dead." John crossed the room to her. "I can see why she would hate being here."
"Yeah." Monica sighed as he brushed her black hair away from her face. "Wait, a sec."
"What?" John froze. He was relieved Mulder had headed out the office just after Scully had.
"You said we thought that Langley was dead. That would suggest he isn't."
"Well."
"John?" Monica tensed. She knew Jimmy and Yves had been together since the Lone Gunman had been in print. She had no idea where they were, only that they had never published another issue of the paper since the three men that had taken them in had supposedly died.
"This morning." He looked away. "I had a call from a man claiming to be Byers."
"Was it him?"
"Yes. I think so. Mulder is meeting with them today."
"He could be walking into a trap. Does Dana know about this?" Monica was horrified.
"No. He asked me not to tell her. Or you."
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Mulder opened the car door as he watched the rain batter the Washington DC streets. He hated everything that was happening. He wanted to go home, live a normal life as a husband and father. As he watched the dark haired man jog towards him.
"Hey, stranger."
Mulder kept his silence as he watched the man. He had never trusted him and he knew he never would.
"Oh come on Mulder, is that anyway to greet an old friend?"
"Friend? That is not what I would describe you as."
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A/N Please review.